Faux Watercolor Tutorial

I am convinced that the next upcoming thing in cardmaking is tissue paper.  What am I basing this on you ask?  Nothing really except that I love it!  GRIN!  What I love about tissue paper is that it is readily available and cheap and can be used in so many different ways.  I spent the other day playing with tissue paper and have three new cards that each use tissue paper in a different way, AND I still have a few other ideas rattling around in my brain.  For now, I'll share my faux watercolor technique with you.  It is super simple.  Beware though, it and may take you all the way back to making art projects and pinatas in grade school. :)

For the supplies, hear is what you'll need:

White Cardstock

Various colors of tissue paper, your choice (can be crumpled)

A paint brush

A small dish of water

Mod Podge (I am pretty sure you can make your own with elmers and water if you don't have any)

Chosen stamp(s)

Versamark

Embossing power (I used white)

Heat tool

Step 1- tear tissue into small pieces, they can be relative to the size of your white cardstock that you plan to cover.  Wash the white paper with some water using your paintbrush (this is to allow the tissue to start sticking down).  Start sticking tissue down either in a particular pattern or randomly until you have the area covered.   I was going for a sunset type look so I did mine in layers.  You'll note that where the papers overlap you have other colors.  I also have a few white spaces in mine, which I left intentionally.

Step 2- Once you have your tissue as you want it, brush a layer of mod-podge across the top to ensure that the tissue adhere's to the paper.  I also brushed a bit on the back around the edges to get the overlapping edge bits to stick to the back.  Set aside to dry.  *It is important to be sure the tissue covered card stock is dry before moving forward, otherwise your embossing won't turn out right.  If you are impatient like me, you can use your heat gun to dry this.  Once dry I went back and trimmed off any tissue overhang that was sticking out or I didn't like.

Step 3-   Stamp the desired image on the tissue paper with the Versamark, sprinkle with embossing power and heat up.

Step 4: Mount on your card stock as desired and you have your finished card!

A couple things to note, this is going to be bubbly, crumply (is this a word?) and a little stiff when all done.  Also, there will be darker spots and lighter spots where tissue is overlapping.  I think both the texture and the different depth of color add to the watercolor feel.  I mounted mine using dimensionals to set the wrinkliness (again, is this a word?) of the water-colored cardstock apart from my base.  You can also see I stamped some versamark shells on the base and added some distressing to match the tissue part.

Thanking Virginia Lu again for the inspiration for this card.  My recent creation for her Virginia's View Challenge #1 inspired me to play more and dabble more in watercolors and tissue.  I'll be entering this faux watercolor card into her challenge (with her permission- I wanted to make sure faux counted)!  I am also entering this into the City Crafter Challenge Blog #202- rainbows.

I hope you try out this super easy technique, it really does make you feel like a kid again!  For those of you that can't deal with the messiness of watercolor, you can make your pieces more precise and try that.  It really does look like a water color to me, what do you think?

Thanks for stopping and be sure to check back, I have two three more tissue paper things to share with you in the coming weeks!

Seeing things from Virginia's View

Did you know Virginia Lu started her own challenge blog recently called Virginia's View Challenge?    She commented in her regular blog, that was only expecting a small number of entries (maybe 20) but is now almost at 200!  All I can say is YAY for Virginia!  She is a super talented designer and a big sweetie ta boot, so it is really no wonder she has so many followers and entries. 

I knew I wanted to play the moment I saw it, so I am here to throw in my entry.  Virginia's current view is watercolor, check out this inspiration photo.

Here is what I made for the challenge using my new Papertrey Ink set Feather Finery.  I embossed the feather in white and then embossed the polka dots and sentiments in gold.  I then spritzed with my Moment Firecracker mists and used my watercolor pen to spread the color out.  I finished my card off with some gold photo corners to make extra gold accents.

Virginia- thank you for being a continued inspiration and all around good person!

PS- I am Guest Designing on Newton's Nook Design this Month and the new release is in a few days come visit us!  

Top Dog Dies and Echo Park blog hop

For the EAD blog hop scroll down to the next post. 

Top Dog Dies and Echo Park are hoppin' together today and we have so much fun in store for you.  

You should have arrived here from Giovana Smith's blog, if not, you'll want to start at the Top Dog Dies blog.

We at Top Dog Dies are super lucky to play with Echo Park!  I mean check out this collection- Splendid Sunshine

It is super Gorgeous!  It is perfect for all things spring and Easter, so I made cards that fall into that theme.  :)  I've got 3 to share with you today. 

This card features the Basket & Egg Die.  I used Cork for the cutting to give it a more natural look and to add some texture. 

Who doesn't love a chocolate bunny?

You know what they say, "April showers bring May flowers."  Meanwhile, I am ready for a little rain break!  For these two cards I used the Bunny & Eggs Die.

Next you'll want to hit Renee Robbins' blog.  Just wait until you see what she has in store for you!

If you get lost along the way, here is the listing:

Top Dog Dies

Echo Park Paper

Ashley Horton

Corri Garza

Holly Gagnon

Tania Willis

Aly Dosdall

Lisa Swift

Amy Wanford

Amy Tsuruta

Giovana Smith

Katie Brooks

Renee Robbins

Karen Letchworth

Wendy Sue Anderson

Stacey Schafer

Nicole Picadura

Giveaway: We'll select one winner from each Top Dog Dies

 blog in the hop to receive a Top Dog Dies Bunny & 

Eggs Die Set. Echo Park Paper will also be offering special 

prizes, so be sure to visit every blog to get the details. All 

entries must be received by midnight MDT, Sunday, March 

16th in order to win. The winners will be announced on 

each blog Wednesday, March 19th so don't forget to check 

back and see if you won.

Soo.....be sure to enter into the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

March EAD Blog Hop + card drive for Emma

Welcome to this month's blog hop featuring EAD Designs!  For those of you that don't remember, EAD Designs created vinyl stickers and rub-ons.  Awesome products but the company closed up shop over a year ago. :(  But we still love the product, so use it to have these fun monthly hops.  

This month's theme is:  Kid-Friendly

All our cards from today's blog hop will be going to a special girl named Emma.  Please read about the card drive hosted by Kelly, who we're so excited is joining our hop today.  You can read the details of the drive :

http://kellybertram.blogspot.com/2014/02/card-drive-for-emma.html

Who wouldn't want to spread some joy into this kiddo's world eh?!  So here is what I made for Emma.  

My sweetie pie daughter (just one year younger than Emma), also made her a card using some of the fun EAD stuff. 

There is some surprise blog candy!  The more you leave comments on the blogs that are participating, the more chances you have to win!  Want a BONUS chance to win another prize?!  Join the card drive and make a kid friendly card for Emma! You can send it to Kelly and link up over on Amy's blog!

Commenting/Card link up open until Monday, March 24th at 11:59 pm pacific

Winners posted on Amy's blog on Monday, March 31st.

Have fun hoppin'!

Amy  

Colleen

Julie Smith

Julie Tucker-Wolek

Katie Brooks

Kelly

Lauren Bergold  

Liz

Rose

Shannon

Stephanie 

Wendi 

Thanks for stopping and I hope you had fun! :)

Entering this into:

Freshly Made Sketches#126

Colour Me #10- Monochromatic
Paper Smooches Picture Perfect

Sorry for being prickly

Hiya and happy Saturday!  I love, love, love Saturday!  ...And today, I am lucky enough to be spending time with three lovely crafty ladies- Amy, Kimberly and Novell.  Yay for me! :)  We always have a great time getting inky.

Quickly I wanted to share with you a recent card I made with the new Sweet Stamp Shop set- Stuck on This.  I combined it with Paper Smooches Slang Gang to make an I'm sorry card.  It was simple and easy and fun to paper piece.

Today's Question of the Day is- how are you spending your weekend?

Entering this into:
Paper Smooches Sparks- Anything Goes


Thanks for stopping!  Be sure to come back on Monday because 'll be paparticipating in a few hops and there will be LOTS of prizes. :)

A little luck...

Have you noticed spring is coming in North America?  It probably seems more apparent in some areas than others, but I've seen some signs in the Pacific North West.  I've seen some crocus', dafodills and azeala's blooming around these parts.  Today I saw a humming bird flitting around some flowers and that little beauty had a shimmering emerald green back.  I pointed it out to a friend and she told me it was supposed to be good luck.  Whether or not it is true, it sounds good to me.

Hummingbirds are just so amazing and I love them.  In fact, on a trip to Costa Rica in 2004, I saw multitudes upon multitudes of them of varying colors and sizes, so spectacular.  I was close enough to touch them and I was certain that one would probably pierce my skull if I moved because they were zipping around so fast. LOL!  Here is a fun little bit about Hummingbird Spirit Animals I found online.

So with that though of spring, green and luck, it brings me to this weeks Cut-it-Up Challenge- Green (Spring or St. Patrick's Day).  Perfect timing don't you think?!  This is our 40th challenge over at CIU!  I am really loving this challenge, it is just so fun and the creations are so varied and with great prizes.  So...won't you come play.  Come on over and check out the fun, rules and prizes. Just to wet your appetite though- here is a bit about the prizes- $20 coupon to Cute as a Button and $25 dollar gift certificate to Heartfelt Creations. 

Here is what I made this week, a bit of a scrappy creation with lots of different dies.  The tree is actually a pre-cut, and I had it in my stash.  Fabulous is from Technique Tuesday and Hello is From Heidi Swapp, the butterfly is from Stampin' Up! and the chevron bits are from Avery Elle.


Today's Question of the Day is- if you had a "spirit animal" what would your animal be?

Thanks for stopping by today!

New Floral Mosaic Mat Die

Happy Tuesday!  I know I've been quiet for a few days.  Well that is because I was on the Oregon Coast with my family (hubby, daughter, mom and her boyfriend).  It was my Mom's birthday and it is an annual trip. We go to search for glass floats that are hand blown by glass artists and hidden on the beach.  The floats are lovely and amazing and my mother has found probably found half a dozen in the 10 years we've been going.   I myself haven't found any, but I don't mind, I go for the family time and beach time  My Mom claims that once you've found one, you are hooked for a few years.  We call it "Float Fever...." which by the way she has passed onto my daughter.  Soph doesn't have much stamina to look and technically hasn't found one, but Grandma and Grandpa Dan planted one for her this year.  Shhhhhh, don't tell!  Here is a cute pic of her feeling excited by her find.  Love that sweet face!

When I go I try to get a little craft time.  Though I didn't make this card this weekend, I wanted to share it with you today.  This uses the brand new Top Dog Dies Flower Mosaic A2 Mat Die.  This is one of my faves of their new release, it is so fun and has sooooo many possibilities.  I went with a solid color on this, beautiful Rich Razzleberry, and added some gold accents (embossed gold leaves and the love clip).  I think this color combo matched with this glorious die make such an elegant combo perfect for a wedding or sympathy card or so many other occasions.  Check out the TDD gallery to see more of my teamies creations with these.

Today's Question of the Day is- if you had this die, what would you use it for?

Entering this into:
Friday Mashup 149- Spring Flowers
Sketchbook Saturday #116